Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a circuit carrier including several layers of at least one insulating material and conductor structures located on or in the layers.
Such circuit carriers are known and are generally constructed as circuit boards which simultaneously act as mechanical carriers of components that are fixed to the circuit board through diverse soldering processes and are connected electrically with the conductor structures. Mostly multilevel circuit boards are used which have conductor structures at least on both of their outer surfaces and often on their inner surfaces as well and feedthroughs are frequent. Depending on the requirements set by climatic conditions, component density, etc., such circuit carriers are made from epoxy-resin glass fabrics or from other synthetic materials such as polyester, polyamide or polytetrafluoroethylene. Equipping the circuit boards, usually with so-called SMD components, is mostly performed with full automation.
In view of the advantages of optical methods of transmitting information there is an increasing trend toward the use of optoelectronic components which emit and/or receive light. Flexible optical fibers are also used for connecting such optoelectronic components on circuit boards. Although a diversity of connection and plug-in techniques have been developed for connecting the optical fibers with the optoelectronic components, it is clear that none of those techniques is really suitable for automated equipping of the circuit board, in which the optical connections function outside the actual circuit board or circuit carrier.